P. Johnson Tailors Part Uno

I wanted to write this while the memory is still minty fresh.

So what is this special topic that requires immediate attention before it all fades into the background? Men’s fashion, more specifically Mr M and my trip to P. Johnson Tailors. Truthfully I don’t have much inkling about this other side of fashion because the interest is sparse. My limited knowledge is gained from perusing The Sartorialist occasionally and a few ‘practical’ shopping sprees with Mr M.

Although Mr M observes a formal dress code when attending to clients, all his suits were purchased off the rack. Whilst ready made suits are great and very convenient, we wanted something special and one off for the wedding. After all, having a made to measure (MTM) suit is as much about the experience as the suit.

How did we narrow down our selection to P. Johnson Tailors? I guess our hearts were set to check them out based on the good things we’ve heard and seen. Their website was also very modern and funky so I was quite convinced by that (Yes I’m guilty of buying things because of their aesthetics). In terms of pricing, because of the bespoke nature of the suit, we knew that we would likely be paying a handsome amount but the optimistic side of me was hoping to be surprised by one of those ‘it’s not as expensive as I thought’ moment…

Mr M had an initial consultation with Nick where they had a pretty detailed discussion about fabrics, colours, style and cut of the suit, ties and bow ties and the groomsmen’s attires. The idea for this visit was to get some expert ideas and opinions and to solidify what Mr M already had in mind. The visit was also very much about re-affirming our choice in using them and to gain some confidence especially when Mr M haven’t had any experience with bespoke tailoring. Needless to say I tagged along for the second consultation because I was nosy and would like to make sure that the colours were right (like most bride-to-be do). Boy, was I impressed.

The moment I stepped into the light and airy showroom, it felt like I was transported to a very fashionable part of the world where men knew nothing about bed hair and all the scruff that comes with lazy dressing. Everyone looked suave, impeccably groomed and exuded tonnes of confidence. What a first impression.

We proceeded to make ourselves comfortable at the plush meeting area where options were discussed and decisions were made. For the first time, I truly appreciated the complexities of a suit and all the considerations needed in making it one of a kind. Being Mr Practical, Mr M wanted to utilise the suit for work after the wedding so its construction has to be simple and understated. Simple doesn’t mean boring so for added interest, Mr M is going to have certain parts of the suit hand-stiched to give a homemade/artisanal overall feel. Mr M’s trousers are pretty straightforward but the one detail that I really like are the side adjusters. These adjusters eliminate the need for belt loops and as a result maintain a sleek silhouette that many suit connoisseurs would give a nod of approval for.

Next up was the fitting. I gotta say, the amount of time that Mr M took for his fitting was approximately 5 times more than mine. There was so much attention to detail and I cannot applaud P. Johnson anymore for that. Patrick the owner himself was involved in the fitting and the length which they have gone to make the best product was evident throughout our interactions.

All good times have to come to an end and ours ended with a 50% deposit on the suit and an extra pair of trousers. Those clothing items were truly a splurge. Having said that they are investments that we hope would last for a long, long time. Mr M rarely spends on clothing so a big ticket item or 2 is ok!

I believe that Mr M’s suit has started to take shape in the hands of artisans somewhere in Italy at this moment. I cannot wait to see it on Mr M in 6 weeks!

Maybe Mr M could even write a little review on the final product. Let’s see.